WEEK 4

Portrait/Headshot

I’m generally not a staged shot kind of girl, but over the years, there have been a few times when I’ve tackled a creative portrait and had a great time. I was looking forward to doing one again.

Life had other plans. My job as a television photojournalist did not cooperate. Last weekend, three inmates escaped from the Orange County Jail. Needless to say, my week has been insane covering updates on the search. No time to plan out and find a subject for my photo challenge. No time to do anything but work my butt off.

I’d hoped to get something at an all-girl motorcycle show I went to last Saturday, but the lighting was lousy. I liked this shot, but doesn’t classify as a headshot.

I thought during the week, I could shoot some of my colleagues, but they rarely looked up from their work.

And then this lovely woman came along and saved the week. She walked by the gazillion media personnel awaiting updates at the Sheriff’s department and paused to take a picture of us with her pink iPad. My camera was within reach, I grabbed one frame and captured the shot.

While the image has technical issues, like my tripod in the background, not being as crisp as I’d like, and a bit over-exposed, her expression is so perfect. A nanosecond after her cute wave, she spun around giggling and walked away. I was positive I’d missed the shot. Man was I thrilled when I checked the camera and found the exact moment I wanted, captured. I love the spontaneity of it, and the pure candid joy.

So. There it is. My week four portrait. Way more photojournalistic than creative, but the image makes me smile.

Until next week’s black and white landscape…

Later gators!

P.S. One bad guy turned himself in today. Hoping the other two get caught over the weekend. Fingers crossed.